Tumor Tip of the Week 01-09-2026 Review the 2026 Solid Tumor Rules Revisions

1-9-2026 Scenario: Question: Is this a multiple primary or single primary? Answer: Multiple Solid Tumor Rules Update 2026 Rule M13 Abstract multiple primaries when separate/non-contiguous tumors are:  • On different rows in Table 3 in the Site-group Instructions  Note 1: Timing is irrelevant. Tumors may be synchronous or non-synchronous. 2026 Solid Tumor Rules Revisions–Breast- M […]

Tumor Tip of the Week -12-19-2025 Age at Diagnosis Text

12-19-2025 Scenario: Question: How would you document the patient’s age in text, the age at diagnosis or age at presentation to the facility?  Answer: •68 YO WF Non-Hispanic   Rationale: Text documentation is not submitted to the CoC; therefore, you should follow the guidelines provided by your state and/or your facility or employer. When documenting age, ensure that the age recorded reflects the patient’s […]

Tumor Tip of the Week-12-10-2025 LVI Priority Order

12-12-2025 Scenario: {Snip from TURB Path report} Question: How would you code Lymphovascular Invasion? Answer: 9 Unknown/Indeterminate/not mentioned in path report {The synoptic takes priority.} SEER Program Coding & Staging Manual/STORE a. The primary source of information about lymphovascular invasion is the pathology check list (synoptic report) developed by the College of American Pathologists. If […]

Tumor Tip of the Week 11-21-2025 How many lung primaries?

11-21-2025 Scenario: Case abstracted after Registry Software converted to v25 Question: How many primaries? Answer: Multiple Solid Tumor Rules Lung Rule M6 Abstract multiple primaries when separate/non-contiguous tumors are two or more different subtypes/variants in Column 3, Table 3 in the Equivalent Terms and Definitions. Timing is irrelevant.

Tumor Tip of the Week-11-14-2025 EOD-Path over Clinical

11-14-2025 Question: How would you assign EOD Primary Tumor? Answer: 100 Any size tumor Confined to breast tissue and fat including nipple and/or areola, Localized, NOS Extent of Disease 2018 v3.2 Manual EOD PRIMARY TUMOR 4. Pathological findings take priority over clinical findings.

Tumor Tip of the Week 11-07-2025 Esophagus-EOD-new Clinical Assessment Codes

11-7-2025 Scenario: Case abstracted after Registry Software converted to v25 Question: How would you code EOD Regional Nodes for this distal esophageal primary w/ mets to 2 para-aortic nodes? Answer: Depends on which version of your registry software you are utilizing when you abstract the case. EOD Regional Nodes Abstracted case while using v24 Refer […]

Tumor Tip of the Week 10-31-2025 Who’s the Scariest Sequence of All? HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

10-31-2025 Scenario: 2025-Diagnosis of simultaneous multiple tumors  Question: Which case would be assigned to Seq 01?  Answer: Invasive Melanoma-left upper back- aka- The “Scariest tumor”-the one with the worst prognosis.  SEER/STORE manuals- Assign the lower sequence number to the primary with the worse prognosis when two primaries are diagnosed simultaneously 

Tumor Tip of the week 10-24-2025 Invasion Beyond Capsule

10-24-2025 Scenario: 2025  Question: How would you code the SSDI Invasion Beyond Capsule  Answer: 4, Any combination of codes 1-3                The Tumor invaded perinephric fat (code 1) and renal sinus fat (code2) thus assigned combination code 4